Six Ways to Expose Our Children to God's Word

One of the areas in which I desire to help my children grow spiritually is in learning God's Word. Psalm 119:11 says, "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee."

It's amazing how many of the verses that I memorized as a child I can still recall today. I also know how much more difficult it is to memorize anything at my current age! While my children are still young, I want them to practice hiding Scripture in their hearts.

Here are six ways we can expose our children to God's Word.

1. Have a family devotional time. Hearing their dad or mom read aloud from the Bible shows children its importance.


2. Attend church as a family. Listening to a pastor, evangelist or other speaker teaching and preaching from the Bible emphasizes the principles you are practicing at home.


3. Have Scripture verses displayed in your house. I previously mentioned taping up a list of Bible verses in my daughter's room that are a comfort to her at bedtime. I have been in homes where framed Bible passages were part of the decor.


4. Play cassette tapes or cds of Scripture songs for your children to listen to at home and in the car.


5. Participate in a children's program at church that emphasizes Bible memorization. Work with your child on learning their verses. If this is not available, write out a list of simple Bible verses that you can help your child memorize at home.


6. Read books that include Bible passages to your child. Look for books that include Bible verses as part of the text or that demonstrate the meaning of a Bible verse through a parable.

Helping our children learn the Word of God at an early age can provide them with a solid foundation in so many areas of their lives.

For more ideas on actions and attitudes to make your home sing, visit Make Your Home Sing Monday.

Book Review: Nelson's Complete Book of Bible Maps and Charts, Third Edition

Gaining a better understanding of Bible times and places can enrich my Bible study, bringing a new perspective to the passages that I read. Nelson's Complete Book of Bible Maps and Charts, Third Edition is a full-color book that includes maps, charts and photos covering the entire Bible. It is divided into sections according to the order of the books of the Bible, with each chapter noting the author, date, themes and outline of that particular book, followed by more detailed information including summaries, maps and helpful charts.

This book is beautifully produced and easy to use. One of the reasons I requested this book was for my daughters, that they might employ it as a reference book. With simple yet colorful maps and interesting photographs, I believe it will fit the bill perfectly. The charts are especially interesting and cover topics such as Jewish feasts, Levitical offerings and the harmony of the gospels. I may finally be able to grasp which Old Testament kings ruled in the Southern and Northern Kingdoms! I see our family returning to this resource time and again for its many helpful features.

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book by Thomas Nelson Publishers. All of the opinions expressed in this post are my own and I was not compensated for this review in any other way.

Do You Want to See the Savings?

There is no grocery savings post today.

While I did get a couple of great deals at Publix (as in free French's mustard and a 16 ounce container of Breakstone's sour cream for 44 cents), I'm not sure that everyone enjoys seeing my grocery deals each Friday.

Therefore, I decided to let you - the reader - speak! In my right sidebar is a poll and it will determine the fate of my Friday savings posts. You can choose to continue the typical Friday fare, where I share how much I spent and saved on a grocery shopping trip, or I can move on to a variety of other topics on those days.

We'll watch together and see how it turns out!

2010 Blizzard Blog Hop

Greetings to all of you visiting from the 2010 Blizzard Bloghop!

Girls to Grow is a place to talk about parenting - everything from how to avoid those "grumpy mom" mornings to ways we can be an encouragement to our children.

Since our family loves to read, I often share some of our favorite books along with what we're currently reading and enjoy getting feedback from others on their best-loved titles.

Maybe you'll be inspired to cook up some Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, clean out a closet or save money when dining out!

You can keep up with Girls to Grow by subscribing in a reader or following me on Twitter. Please leave a comment to let me know you stopped by; I look forward to making many new friends!

Syrup and Jelly

Here they are - two small steps our family (or should I say, the mother of the family) is taking towards healthier eating.

Real. Maple. Syrup. Not the concoction of high fructose corn syrup I've been buying for years - buying rather cheaply, I might add. Who knew maple syrup was so expensive??? Now comes the test of how it will fly with the family. Will pancake or waffle breakfasts lose some of their appeal? I'll have to let you know. I'll also have to pour it on the girls' plates myself lest they consume six dollars worth of syrup in one sitting.

I didn't know how difficult it would be to locate real grape jelly. I'm not sure that's exactly what I bought since it's actually called Fruit Spread. At least all the ingredients are understandable and, once again, it lacks the corn syrup. I don't eat jelly, but the test will come in a few days when my discerning seven-year-old bites into a peanut butter and "healthier" jelly sandwich. Trust me, I won't bring it up, but will wait until she gets home from school to see if she mentions it.

Once again, I strive for that balance between trying these healthier foods, which cost more, and saving money in the grocery budget. Any advice for me along those lines?

I'm the Mom

I pulled out this "oldie but goodie" video to share with you today. Listening to the words makes me wonder if she was a fly on the wall at my house one day!



I've watched this several times before, but it always makes me laugh - and lets me know that other moms must have the same struggles I sometimes do!

Celebrating Now

Today my daughters and I are at a specific place in our journey together. Each age and stage we encounter has its positives and negatives and is but a stepping stone from where we were to where we are going. Where we are Now is a good place to be.

Now I read aloud at bedtime chapter books we all three enjoy

Now I pack lunches for school and know what they're eating

Now they love to surprise me by secretly doing chores without being told

Now the playroom floor is littered with doll dresses and pink Legos

Now the bathroom smells floral and girly

Now I know enough to help with homework

Now the refrigerator door is covered with pictures from art class and homemade magnets

Now shopping for clothes together is fun

Now they want to snuggle on my lap

Now I ease their hurts with hugs and kisses

So in this moment I pause, not remembering the past or anticipating the future, but celebrating...Now.

This post is linked to Tuesdays Unwrapped hosted by Chatting at the Sky.

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

As I was completing my Eat from the Pantry Challenge last week, I decided to see what I had available for baking a sweet treat to pack in the girls' lunches. There were oats and cocoa in the pantry and chocolate chips in the refrigerator, so I went to AllRecipes and found these cookies. I tweaked the recipe just a bit and ended up making them twice!

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Mix in the dry ingredients until thoroughly combined. Stir in the oats and chocolate chips.

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Visit Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday and Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap for more recipes to try.

2010 Goals, January Update

At the beginning of January, I shared goals that I had set for myself this year in four areas: financial, physical, personal and spiritual. Here's how I'm progressing so far.

1. Financial

• Finish saving for our family trip to Walt Disney World. This month I was able to put $102.50 into this fund, which is just over my goal of $100 per month.


• Set up monthly withdrawals into a Roth IRA. This has not been started yet, but we hope to begin the process soon.


• Find ways that I can generate income. Nothing so far, but I'm continuing to pray about it.
  

2. Physical

• Re-read In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan. Since my husband purchased this book for me a few weeks ago, I have started reading it through again.


• Eat three servings of fruits and vegetables a day. I can get two servings in easily, but that third one - not so much! I need to make a concerted effort to do better in February. If only a slice of apple pie or a blueberry muffin counted as a serving of fruit!


• Exercise four times a week. I'm happy to say that I've accomplished this goal every week so far by walking in our neighborhood, even fitting in five days of walking for a couple of weeks.

3. Personal

• Spend at least twenty minutes a day, four days a week, writing (not for the blog). Going strong on this one!


• Read one book a month for personal development (marriage, parenting, writing, etc.) Reading a book is a fun goal for me, and I've read several books during January. I'll share more specifics later this week.


• Redecorate our master bedroom. After experiencing thermal tracking in our living area, we will have to paint the vaulted ceilings and walls in those rooms over the next couple of months, so the master bedroom re-do has fallen to the bottom of the list for now.

4. Spiritual

• Keep a prayer journal. I am enjoying noting prayer requests, along with their answers, in my prayer journal.


• Read one spiritual book a month. I completed Be Joyful: A Bible Study in Phillipians by Warrren Wiersbe.


• Make spiritual music in the home a priority. I do well with this most mornings, but need to make it more of an emphasis in the afternoons and evenings.


• Look for an opportunity each month to bless someone. I was able to do several things for others this month and am already looking forward to seeing what I can do in February.

I have found that having these goals printed out and posted on my refrigerator door helps me keep them in mind as the days pass.

How about you; did you set goals for this year? How are you doing so far?

photo courtesy public domain pictures